Computer systems utilize various integrated circuit devices for data storage and retrieval. Traditionally, a computer system's random access memory (RAM) primarily included a plurality of single bit integrated memory chips connected directly to the computer system's central processing unit ("CPU") motherboard. As computing technology improved, computer systems required more memory to support the various technological improvements. Thus, to expand the system memory of a computer, manufacturers began incorporating memory sockets into the motherboard capable of receiving memory modules on which memory chips had been mounted. This allowed for a computer system's memory capabilities to be expanded by addition of memory modules.
These memory modules are commonly referred to as single in-line memory modules ("SIMMs") with their plug-in socket referred to as a SIMM socket. By plugging a SIMM into a SIMM socket, the memory capacity of a computer system can be easily expanded. Currently, most computer systems are manufactured with several SIMM sockets included on the motherboard of the computer so that a computer user can add additional memory to the system as needed.
SIMMs are printed circuit boards ("PCB"s) built with memory chips mounted to the PCB and having connection pins along one edge of the PCB. The standard SIMM size is either a 30 pin version or a 72 pin version. The organization of a SIMM is described as the depth of the module by the width of module. The depth portion of this organization refers to the depth of memory chips located on the module. The width describes how many bits can be accessed at the same time by the computer system. Thus, for example, a "4Mx8" SIMM is 4 MEGA address deep and 8 bits wide. While the standard memory module allows the amount of system memory to be upgraded, these modules do not allow any of the other functions of the system to be updated, nor do the modules add any new functions besides increased memory. Furthermore, the modules themselves cannot have their function upgraded. Thus, while the amount of available memory may be expanded by the addition of memory modules, the modules do not add new function to the system.
For example, parity or ECC functions cannot be added to SIMMs in order to upgrade the memory module and accordingly add these features to a computer system. If the features of a memory module are desired to be upgraded, an all-new memory card having the desired function(s) must be substituted into the computer system with the existing module being removed and discarded. Thus, the old SIMMs must be completely discarded and replaced to add new features to a computer system by way of a memory module.
Currently, the most common type of a memory SIMM is the so-called "x32 SIMM" which is a non-parity in-line memory module. A x32 SIMM contains enough DRAMs to support the reading and writing of 8 data bits per byte, but does not support any other functions such as parity, ECC, ECC on SIMM, non-standard interface levels or non-standard voltage power supplies. Therefore, to be able to upgrade a computer system that uses x32 SIMMs to have parity, ECC, ECC on SIMM or other new and added functions, the x32 SIMMs must be discarded and replaced with entirely new SIMMs having the desired configuration and features.
Thus, since existing SIMMs must be discarded in order to upgrade memory module features and functions, there exists a need for a memory module adapter with added features such as parity, ECC, ECC on SIMM, non-standard interface levels and/or non-standard power supplies which is configured to add these functions to existing memory modules lacking these functions so that existing memory modules do not have to be replaced.